WPPI

I just returned home from WPPI in Las Vegas. It was inspiring and motivating. And a lot of fun.

My mom & dad were kind enough to come with me and we basically ate our way through the city.

The trade show at WPPI was huge and all a-bustle. But the speakers and friends I got to see/meet and learn from were the highlight.

Here's a list of the people I admire even more after this trip:

Jonathan Canlas

Natalie Norton

Brion Hopkins

Elizabeth Messina

Jasmine Star

Jose Villa

Great people, great work.

Be inspired.

Musician in Central Park

Don't worry, I gave him a couple bucks.

My favorite woman

We were walking through Chinatown looking at all the raw fish and food items that I've never seen before. Everything was in Chinese and I wished my brother-in-law was there to translate. As we made our way through the crowded sidewalks, we got behind this woman. She was probably 4 ft. 8 inches. It was the hottest day in the city while I was there (look what she's wearing). Her hands and skin were quite weathered. She shuffled along so slowly. We passed her affectionately.

Later, we stopped to try and figure out where we were and where we were going (there was a whole lotta that going on). We started up once more and much to our delight, we were behind our little woman . We followed behind her until the corner, where I snuck out to her side and snapped a picture. We went a different way. She became our favorite.

Jon

This is Jon.  I went to his workshop in Hawaii and learned a ton.  I also call him up/Gtalk to ask him lots and lots of questions. 

The man takes amazing pictures, but he always makes a goofy face when we tried to take his picture.  He calmed down and helped us out by being serious here.  As Jon would say, this picture is "tight, like unto a dish." 

Today I love

This.

American Dream

Met a man tonight.  He is from Hungary.

When he was 18 in 1956, he escaped Communism on foot.  He made it to the border and was arrested.  Then he escaped prison after a few days and hid in a farm house.  Then he climbed over something and made it over the Iron Curtain.

He came to America with only the clothes on his body.  He lived the American Dream and is affluent, has employed hundreds, and is helping others achieve similar success.

His schoolmate was in front of a firing squad.  There was some sort of diversion and he escaped.  He made it to America and has 46 patents in his name.

My new friend told me this is the greatest country and has little tolerance for the whining and complaining about it.  And for the lazy and slothful.

I love this country.